Creativity and the arts

Creativity and the arts Spirituality and transcendence

Architecture Artists and art history Beauty and aesthetics Celebrations and festivals Creativity Dance Film Imagination Laughter and comedy Music Painting and sculpture Philosophy of art Photography Play Poetry Stories and literature The nature of reality Theatre and performance Traditional arts

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An ancient Greek clay jug with red stripes and inscriptions against a dark background.

Communication and language

idea

I am an article about the speaking objects of ancient Greece

Talkative drinking cups and threatening oil flasks tell us how the written word asserted its authority in an oral society

by Teddy Fassberg

Photo of a derelict brick building with colourful graffiti on the wall broken windows and overgrown vegetation at dusk.

Painting and sculpture

idea

Works of urban graffiti are not vandalism, but public monuments

They might appear to have little in common with statues or obelisks, but graffiti images serve a vital public function

by Rafael Schacter

Two men smiling in low light, seated at a round table with drinks. One man is wearing a hat.

Stories and literature

guide

How to tell a better story

Personal stories have the power to connect, entertain, persuade. Use a pro storyteller’s tips to pick and prepare a great one

by Micaela Blei

A woman holds a square mirror that blocks her face; it reflects rocks and grass. There is blue sky and clouds in the background. The only element in focus is the reflection on the mirror.

Painting and sculpture

film

Losing her eyesight, a painter’s art evolves with the way she sees the world

Directed by Liberty Smith

People sitting and walking through a city square on a sunny day, with a red brick building and large advertising posters covering other buildings.

Stories and literature

idea

Your life is not a story: why narrative thinking holds you back

Our stories help us make sense of a chaotic world, but they can be harmful and restrictive. There’s a liberating alternative

by Karen Simecek

Black and white drawing of swirling smoke and flames rising from the ground, bordered by a rough square outline.

The self

idea

Why bad doodles can reveal more about you than good drawings

For Marion Milner, ‘not being able’ is a valuable state – one that allows for new and unexpected forms of learning

by David Russell

Photo of a person singing dramatically in colourful patterned attire and an orange headwrap on a dark stage.

Music

guide

How to get hooked on opera

Aspects of opera can seem strange. But give it a try and you’ll soon find yourself absorbed in a truly magical experience

by Alexandra Wilson

A Nigerian ballerina in a white tutu dancing atop yellow minibuses in a crowded urban setting.

Dance

film

Nigeria’s first ballet school brings tutus and joy to the streets of Lagos

Directed by Jacob Krupnick

Black-and-white photo of a person sleeping against a window on a train, head resting on a pillow, outside view blurred.

Sleep and dreams

idea

The brain’s twilight zone: when you’re neither awake nor asleep

Neuroscientists are demystifying this in-between state, uncovering its role in memory processing and its creative potential

by Célia Lacaux

Abstract painting of a river with geometric, brightly coloured buildings and trees on the riverbank and a bridge in the background

Creativity

idea

A key part of creativity is picking up on what others overlook

We all constantly filter a flood of details coming in. This process helps explain what gives some brains a creative edge

by Madeleine Gross

A close-up of a paint swatch booklet with colour samples including blue, yellow and beige. They have labels such as Polka Dot, Vanilla and Daisy Chain.

Creativity

guide

How to use ‘possibility thinking’

Have you hit an impasse in your personal or professional life? Answer these questions to open your mind to what’s possible

by Constance de Saint Laurent & Vlad Glăveanu

A child in a yellow shirt and red shorts pushing a tire uphill on a steep, gravelly incline against a clear sky backdrop.

Play

film

A cobalt mine becomes an unlikely playground for children in Congo

A film by Francis Alÿs